The invention relates to an angular velocity sensor for a movable system provided with an electrically conducting inertial mass through which an almost uniform magnetic field passes, whose mass is rotatable with respect to the system but is translatively fixedly connected to it. The sensor has at least one pair of electrodes contacting the mass. The electrodes are fixedly connected to the system and are spaced apart by a distance, the electrode vector, and are connected to a receiving device by conductors.
Such an angular velocity sensor is known from "Final Report for Period 20 February 1978-30 Dec. 1978 Contract No. DNA002-78-C0126" of R.E. Weber, The Singer Company, Kearfott Division at Fairfield, N.J. 07006.
In this angular velocity sensor, the magnetic field is generated by a magnet which is fixedly connected to the system. Using this sensor, the angular velocity can only be determined about one axis, which is fixedly connected to the system. This leads to a number of disadvantages.
A first disadvantage is that the use of such an angular velocity sensor becomes very complicated when determining angular rates in space, for instance about three mutually perpendicular axes. Moreover, a disadvantage occurs when determining the angular position from the angular velocity about axes which move along with the system. In this case, different results may be obtained, dependent on the sequence in time of the different angular velocities.